Pairing: Armin Arlert/Annie Leonhart
Tags: Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Teenage Love, Awkward First Times, Slow Burn, POV Armin Arlert, Bottom Armin Arlert, Wet Dreams
Warning: R18 contains sensitive topics
Summary: They say the most judgmental people are those who attend church on Sundays.
Despite growing up in a Christian household, Armin Arlert felt overburdened by the pile of ministry activities assigned to him. So he made a pact with himself to never follow in his father's footsteps and become a pastor. With the goal of saving enough money to persuade his parents to let him move to another state after high school, he started accepting paid essay projects in school in secret.
Everything in Armin's busy life seemed manageable until he met Annie Leonhart, a Californian girl whose parents had moved her against her will to Vermont. Upon discovering Armin's secret business, Annie approached him with a unique request- to write love letters for a long-distance lover. To craft the perfect love letters, she would help Armin embark on a journey of firstsâ his first kiss, first hug, first date, and first everything in a relationship.thing in a relationship.
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Four pairs of eyes glanced at each other. No words had been spoken for the past ten minutes since Eren climbed up to Arminâs room.
The blond was racking his brain to find a better word to explain their situation in the room to his best friends, without them misconstruing it. At some point, the taller boy couldn't hold it anymore. He dropped his knapsack and the one big bag of potato chips hanging on his right hand to the floor. He gestured to Armin, instructing, âTo the bathroomânow, young man!â
Armin quickly stood up from the bed, but as soon as he started to walk, Eren took his hand and dragged him inside the bathroom. Mikasa followed and locked the bathroom door behind them, leaving Annie alone standing in the middle of the bedroom, bewildered.
âArmin, what the fuck?â Eren asked, pinning his friend against the wall. The blond winced as he hit the wall.
âEren, donât be too harsh on him. Heâs still hurt,â Mikasa reminded him of Arminâs injury, to which the turquoise-eyed boy raised his hand as a gesture for Mikasa not to worry.
Armin sighed, âI told you. Nothing is going on between me and Annie.â
âArmin, your mom is literally in the kitchen, and you have a girl staying in your room. What will you do if she finds out?â Mikasa interrogated.
âShe wonât find out,â Armin replied, his brows knitting together.
Erenâs eyes narrowed in suspicion. Armin knew he couldnât get away too easily. âIâm sure you are aware of her reputation. Donât tell me you lost your V-card to her?â
âOh, come on!â Armin threw his hands up in mock surrender. âI know sheâs been staying with me for quite a while now, but sheâs a good person. She actually saved my life.â
âWhat do you mean?â Mikasa asked, totally worried about their friend.
Armin opened his mouth to tell them what happened last night but got interrupted when they heard Annie knock from the other side of the door. Mikasa opened the door behind them, revealing Annie just standing there with her bag on her shoulder. âYâknow what, I must go. I donât really have plans to stay over. I just came by to check on your friend.â She turned to leave, but Armin noticed she carried a bigger backpack this time. He assumed she brought her own pajamas so she didnât need to borrow his. Confident in his assumptions, he never failed to catch her lying.
Mikasa and Eren looked at each other, feeling bad for being rude to her. Eren was the first one to talk, âHey Annie, if you really want to stay tonight, itâs okay. I will just sleep on the carpet.â
Armin turned to him in disbelief, âEren?â
Mikasa held his shoulder and spoke loud enough for Annie to hear, âWe promise we wonât tell anybody about this. Trust us.â Armin trusts his best friends more than anyone in this world, so when Mikasa assured him, he was totally convinced. âYou heard them, Annie. Please stay,â Armin tried to convince her. She turned to him to see a pair of begging big blue eyes.
Twenty minutes had passed, and they had settled on Arminâs bed, talking about the incident. Eren spoke most of the time, telling Annie what happened in school, which made Annie curse at Historia. Armin told her not to blame her since it was his fault to begin with. He noticed Annie was silent for a moment, as if she was sunk deep into her thoughts.
âYou need that money, right?â Annie asked out of the blue.
Technically, yes. Armin had already prepared a two-year financial plan, and it would be a hard setback to lose four hundred dollars. Annie seemed to understand the answer before Armin could reply. âAlright,â she stood up and took her pajamas out of her bag. âIâll sign up for the camp.â
âAnnie, you donât have to. I can earn that money back,â Armin protested. It was not his intention to drag someone into his mess just because he made a mistake.
âNot until you kill yourself overworking. My decision is final. Iâm going to the camp with you.â She glanced at him, too cold for Erenâs and Mikasaâs taste, but Armin understood that deep inside her heart, she cared about him.
Before Annie could enter the bath, Mikasa spoke up. âIâll sign up too.â
âMikasa!â Eren and Armin called out in unison. Green eyes sparkled and the blue ones were hopeful.
âTomorrow, we have to go shopping, Annie. I canât afford for the church people to assume that Arminâs friends are all composed of a witch andââ Mikasa purposely cut what she was about to say.
ââa whore, I know. I finish my shift after five,â Annie continued.
âItâs settled then!â Eren stretched his arms, yawning. âTomorrow, I will help to cover Mikasaâs shift while they go shopping.â
âEren, do you know how the counter works?â Armin asked, totally having doubts about his best friend's working etiquette.
âYou are working with me, right?â Without asking, Eren set himself on the foot of the bed and dozed off. Armin rolled his eyes, knowing he would have a long day tomorrow at work. But itâs better than working alone anyway. So he replied, âYeah.â
Mikasa lay on the mattress, on Arminâs left side. As soon as her head settled on the soft pillow, her eyes closed and drifted to sleep. It was obvious on her face how exhausted she had been today from taking care of him. Armin brushed his palm on top of her crown and whispered, âThank you for today, Mikasa.â
Armin heard Annie emerge from the bathroom; she had changed into her pajamas, and her nape was still moist from the shower. She settled herself on Arminâs right side. When he lay down, he turned to face her, and she took his hand, placing it under her cheek as if it were part of the pillow.
âHow can you be so careless?â she asked, trying to stay awake but her eyelids were slowly closing.
âIâm sorry,â he whispered and smiled at her before falling asleep.
Sometime in the middle of the night, Armin heard a loud thud that woke him up. He craned his neck to check what was going on. Eren, who used to be sleeping at the foot of the bed, had moved to Mikasaâs side to cuddle her. Now, four teenagers awkwardly squeezed into a queen-sized bed. When Armin looked at his right side, it was Annie who had fallen off the bed. He heard her groan âOuch,â but she was too tired to stand on her feet, so she just resumed her sleep on the carpet.
Armin took his pillow and a new blanket from the cabinet before lying next to Annie on the carpet, carefully placing the pillow under her head, waking her up a bit. Her beautiful eyes opened slightly, her pale blue irises glanced at him. Armin didnât move, scared that he might further disturb her sleep, but instead, Annie threw her arms and legs around him, probably mistaking him for a bolster. He felt something soft underneath her clothes. Realizing she wasnât even wearing a bra when going to bed, Armin wasnât sure, but his feelings were torn between "Lord, I donât deserve this, but thank you for the blessings" and "Oh dear Holy Spirit, please save me."
It took Armin a while to calm whatever he felt down south; he didnât even want to think about it. Annie stayed over with good intentions and not for anything else. She faced enough scrutiny outside of this room, and he didnât want her to feel the same when they were together. She didnât deserve it just because she wanted to be herself and wear the clothes she wanted. He was wrong before. Girls like Annie just need acceptance from other people and not to be told what to do.
And itâs okay to be friends with other girls like her without feeling other things, just like his friendship with Mikasa.
Itâs alright. He feels safe with Annie, and he does the same for her. They had become each otherâs safe haven ever since the night she first snuck into his room.
Armin couldnât tell what time he fell asleep, but not too long after, Annie tapped his shoulder to wake him up. âArmin, get up. I will help you change the bandage on your arm. You need to prepare to go to school soon.â She whispered, and he followed suit.
As soon as they entered the bathroom, Annie kicked down the toilet cover and cursed at whoever had used it and left it open. She then asked Armin to sit there. With eyes half open, Armin watched as she prepared the plasters the doctor provided for him a day before. She was already changed into her misty rose-colored scrubs suit, fully ready for work, but for Armin, it felt more like he was in the hospital with a private nurse taking care of him.
Annie noticed him staring at her clothes and guessed he was curious about why she was up early. âHange has scheduled an operation at nine. I have to be at the clinic an hour before to prepare the operating room. Sheâll pay me overtime, so I agreed,â she answered without him asking.
She crouched on the floor and held out her hand, âLet me see your arm.â Armin hesitated, gripping tightly on his arm. He was not used to getting hurt since his parents protected him too much as a little kid, to the extent that they didnât allow him to play outside the house. So Armin could only count on his fingers the events he got serious injuries. Armin also knew the first replacement of the bandages hurt the most because the gauze still stuck into the clotted blood; one wrong pull and the wound would bleed again.
âTrust me, Iâm more trained in humans than animals.â She gestured to take his hand, and he gave in eventually. Slowly she peeled the bandages off from his wrist up to his elbows and threw them in the nearby bin. She then proceeded to pull the first gauze, earning a wince from him, but she didnât care as she continued peeling off the gauze. When it was already too much for him, he suddenly tugged his arm away from her. His face reddened, and a tear threatened to leak from the corner of his eye. Annie sighed, âYou have a terribly low pain tolerance.â
âItâs really painful, Annie,â he cried. They spent a good five-minute staring contest before Annie checked the time on her wristwatch. Itâs fifteen minutes before seven; it's just a matter of minutes before his mother climbs up to his bedroom to call them for breakfast. She carefully took his arms again and said, âLook away and pinch your other arm as hard as you can so it divides the pain.â Without any other choice, Armin followed her instructions. At least Annie is more considerate than the doctor who took care of his wound yesterday. Before he knew it, all the gauze was already dumped in the bin. True to her word, it was less painful when you pinch yourself. If Armin had known that technique before, his life wouldâve been easier. However, it left a small portion of bruises on his other arm. He pinched himself too hard.
Annie used wet wipes to remove the glue stains around the wounds, then she asked Armin to lean in the bathtub so she could rinse the wound in the shower at the right temperature. While letting his arm dry with a towel, she prepared a cotton pad soaked in saline solution. Armin watched her face as she slowly dabbed the pad on his wounds. It didnât hurt anymore, but the cold effect of the solution made him a little uncomfortable. Then to finish the procedure, she covered his wound with new plasters. She turned his arm to each side to check if the wound was properly sealed before she raised to her feet and tapped the tip of his nose twice. âGood job, tiger.â
Armin watched as Annie cleaned the mess on the sink. âItâs still too early to leave, Annie,â he said, standing up. He felt a bit giddy but managed to steady his balance.
âYeah, but I have to grab coffee on the way. Coffee shops are usually crowded at this hour,â she replied, stepping out of the bathroom. She grabbed her bag from the foot of the bed and slid its straps to her shoulders.
He rushed after her, âIf that is the case, then I will make you coffee every day so you wonât have to leave early for coffee shops.â
âYou okay with that?â she turned to him before realizing, âOh yeah, you make coffees for a living.â
âItâs just a part-time job, and itâs not like Starbucks-level coffee, but I can make a decent one.â
âI bet your coffee is better than Starfucks.â She walked towards the window, opened the glass panels, and slid herself out of his room. âIâll see you again tonight.â
âThank you, Annie.â He stood by the window, watching her climb down from the roof to the tree branches to jump onto the streets. He watched until her figure disappeared into the distance.
As if on cue, his mom suddenly opened his door, startling him. âKids, time for breakfast!â
Being reminded that his best friends were cuddling the last time he paid attention to them, he looked back toward his bed. For some reason, Eren is back at the foot of the bed, sleeping soundly while Mikasa has just woken up, her hair disheveled as she shifted herself to a sitting position, scratching her left eye. Armin let out a sigh of relief.
His mom shot him a questioning look. âHoney, are you okay?â She walked toward him and pulled him into a hug like a five-year-old.
âMom, Iâm fine, and my friends are here. Can you just let me go?â He protested, his face buried in the corner of his momâs neck. Sometimes he hates being treated like a kid.
His mother ignored him, dragging him out of the room like a ragdoll. âMikasa, wake Eren up now before the breakfast gets cold.â He heard Mikasa respond with a yes to his mother before going down the stairs. His two friends followed behind.
His father was already sitting at the dining table, sipping his coffee as he scrolled down to his iPad. The teenagers selected their seats and settled, with Eren still in a dreamy daze. His mother served each plate with pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. She then prepared each batch of bread in the toaster. Mikasa took a carton of milk to fill their glasses.
âHowâs your wound, Armin? Who changed the bandages?â his father asked, which caught him off guard for a minute. He realized he forgot to prepare a spiel to explain to his parents his newly cleaned arm.
Mikasa, noticing her friend was in crisis, she butted in, âI helped him clean his wound earlier, but we realized we woke up too early so we went back to bed.â
âHuh? Mikasa, you know how toâ ouch!â Mikasa kicked Erenâs foot under the table. Armin felt like his soul almost left his body when his parents glanced at each other.
Realizing his best friends wouldnât be able to salvage the situation any longer, he spoke, âMikasa watched a bunch of tutorials on YouTube last night. Remember?â
âUh- yeah? Yeah, I remember now. Thatâs right,â Eren replied, nodding. Mikasa glaring at him to keep his mouth shut.
Good thing, his father didnât press anymore; instead, he decided to change the topic. âAnyway, next week, my cell group âwhich includes Eren and Mikasaâs parentsâ will be here for dinner, and we want you guys to join us. You have to set that on your schedule. Understand?â
âYes, sir.â The teenagers responded simultaneously as they dug into their plates.
His mom placed the tray of toasted bread on the center of the dining table. âAlso, Pastor Dreyse just got back here in Woodstock and his family will be coming too, so, ArminâŚâ she emphasized his name to get his attention. âWhatever you have to do next Friday night, cancel it.â
Armin narrowed his eyes as he chewed on the bacon, âMom, is this AruHitch phase of yours still ongoing?â he asked, horrified.
Eren suppressed a laugh but failed, âThe fact that you already have a ship name made it seem official.â
Armin rolled his eyes at his best friend.
âShip name? Iâm afraid Iâm not following these new terms.â His father butted in, totally confused.
âItâs like combining two names in one. We usually use this for characters in a series if we want them to be together romantically,â Mikasa explained, gesturing her hands like she was giving a lecture at a university. âSoon you will understand, pops.â
Arminâs father winced at the word pops. To Arminâs relief, they seemed to forget about the teasing part and finished their breakfast. Armin kissed his dad and mom goodbye before starting his day.
He wore a long-sleeved sweater to cover his arm. Luckily, only a few students in school are aware of the incident. Armin tends to keep quiet about it to avoid issues against Historia. During lunch break, Armin walked past Historiaâs locker, but she wasnât there. Armin starts to believe she didnât come to school today. He wanted to send her a text message, but Mikasa was against the idea and suggested it was better to give her some space for a while. The heavy burden in his chest dragged on as the hours passed by. Armin had busied himself for some distraction so he wouldnât think about it too much. He had done his assignments and essays in between breaks. His shift with his best friend wasnât too bad either, but he noticed that there were more customers today in the shop than usual. Most of them are middle school girls. He assumes it is because of Eren and his growing popularity with the girls. Armin couldnât deny how much Erenâs look improved over the years. He was more concerned about what to wear for the day and heâs up-to-date with the current fashion trend. But of course, with Mikasaâs influence, his fashion is more goth or pop rock-inspired, black t-shirts, metal studs, big belts, and fake hoop earrings around the helix of his ears, just like Annieâs but hers are genuinely pierced.
Armin glanced at his reflection from the display cabinet. He has had the same hairstyle since he was five. Full bangs that usually poke his eyelashes when he blinks, golden strands that just end below his jaw. Growing up, Armin used to be bullied because he looked too feminine and frail for a boy. Now that he pays attention to himself, he can tell he still looks like a girl until now and his voice didnât help either. Most of the boys around the school had outgrown him, and their voices start to boom a bit deeper. Some of the church aunties tell him not to worry about his looks; he probably was one of those rare cases of a late bloomer. Armin sighed. His puberty was long overdue, no wonder no girls showed interest in him.
His shift ended after seven. Both boys handed over the cashier to Sasha, who was scheduled to work in the closing shift. Eren was picked up by his father while Armin separated from his best friend to meet up with Hitch for dinner.
Hitch is Arminâs longest friendâ longer than Eren and Mikasa. She was born in a Christian family too, just like him; her parents are both Pastors. The Arlerts and the Dreyses co-founded the community church in Woodstock. However, Pastor Dreyse frequently traveled around Asia for biblical missions while Pastor Arlert stayed in Woodstock to preach and run the church.
Being born in the same year, same environment, and same upbringing, Hitch has become like an older sister to Armin. If only she never had beef with Mikasa, she couldâve been included in Erenâs circle of best friends.
After ten minutes of bantering and tugging each other on the streets about which restaurants to eat at, both of them agreed to settle on DIY hotpot at Arminâs house. They passed by the grocery store to pick up some mushrooms and vegetables. Armin remembered his mom storing leftover beef slices in the fridge, while Hitch kept taking packs of crab sticks, tau kee, and some type of bean curd he couldnât name anymore. Armin took an extra trip to the coffee aisle, taking a pack of espresso roast coffee beans and a carton of ready-to-froth milk. Armin was sure his dad kept a French press somewhere in the kitchen cupboard. After they had paid at the self-service counter, each of their hands carried a bag of groceries as they walked home. Armin intentionally didnât mention his arm. Knowing Hitch, once she finds out about the incident, there is a huge chance sheâd storm in at Historia's place for a fight. She was worse than Mikasa. Armin learned the hard way.
Hitch crouched at one of the cupboards and took the single induction that had been tucked away behind the kitchenware, as if she knew every inch of this house. Armin prepared the pot before proceeding to wash and chop the vegetables. He took the electric kettle, filled it full with water, and left it on until it boiled. He grabbed the chopping board with veggies and moved across from Hitch on the island counter as she adjusted the heat on the induction before putting in beef flanks and vermicelli noodles. Her hands propped her chin up while she stirred the soup idly.
âArmin, you know you canât be too greedy,â Hitch deadpanned, watching Arminâs chopsticks take another bundle of enoki mushrooms and slowly laying them on top of the boiling tomato soup.
âIf you donât like mushrooms, then I will eat them all,â Armin said, raising his small bowl to fill it with soup. He was leaning on the counter, ignoring the highchair on his side. âIt doesnât matter if I eat a little much; I will still maintain my abs, though.â He raised the hem of his shirt to show his still well-toned abs.
âRight, those extra calories are being trapped in your cheeks instead,â Hitch retorted, using her chopsticks to push the mushrooms aside to make space for her bean curd.
âDonât fat-shame my cheeks.â
âBecause you called me greedy.â
Hitch's eyebrow shot up, catching the smug expression on his face before shrugging it off. She took her bowl and filled it with tomato soup and bean curds. She busied herself with her iPad, looking through the worship songs they had to practice for the camp.
The electric kettle automatically clicked off, a sign that the boiling water was ready. Armin took the pack of espresso roast and measured the ratio before placing the grounds in the French press and filling it up with measured water. He took a few careful stirs before covering the cylinder with its lid. He returned to their meal as he waited for the coffee to steep. The smell of coffee wafted around the kitchen, making Hitch crave a cup even if it was already a little late in the night. Armin noticed her watching him make coffee.
âWhy are you making coffee at this hour?â she asked.
Armin hummed before answering, âJust practicing.â
âWhat? Are you going to start working as a barista at Kiyomiâs shop too?â
Armin squinted his eyes, knowing he couldnât get away too easily under her scrutiny. âDo you want coffee?â
âOf course, but you havenât answered my question.â
Dodging the question, Armin refocused his attention back to the French press. He used his palm to press the plunger down, carefully preventing the grounds from escaping into the coffee.
âSo, uhm, have you practiced our song for the camp?â
âYou havenât answered my question.â
âHowâs Pastor Dreyse? I heard heâs back from Singapore.â Armin took the frother to prepare the milk.
âYou havenât answered my question, Arlert.â Hitch crossed her arms, a sign that it was the end of the stretch of her patience.
Armin sighed, âFine, Iâm making it forââ he got interrupted by a sudden loud thud from his room. Horror struck across his face, realizing Annie should be back from shopping. He glanced at the clock. Shoot! Itâs already a quarter past eight. It is definitely Annie in his room.
Hitch flinched in shock. Her face questioning Armin, âArenât we alone in this house? Did someone break into your room?â She stood up, suddenly shifting to protective older sister mode instinct.
âOh, Hitch! Itâsâ itâs nothing?â he dashed around to Hitch's side to stop her from walking up the stairs.
âWhat do you mean? What if someone wants to kill us?â
âHitch, you are just being paranoid. Itâs justâ a ghost?â Armin winced after letting out those words; he wasnât this bad at lying, but panic had taken over his mind, scared of what would happen if Hitch found out about Annie. There was a huge chance his mother would find out about his secret.
Hitch took a baseball bat from behind the storage room door and silently stepped onto the staircase. âDonât be ridiculous. Thereâs no way this house is haunted. There is definitely someone up there.â
Armin moved in front of her to block her way, âA poltergeist?â
She shook her head, tightening her grip on the baseball bat. Before Armin knew it, Hitch was already in front of his bedroom door. She was always fast; never in his life did he beat her in a chase. Hitch placed her ear on the door, and when she heard silence, she kicked the door open. Armin prayed so hard for Annie to leave or hide somewhere.
They both entered the room; there was no sign of anyone there but the small white kitten in the middle of Arminâs bed, looking back at them. The kitten tilted its head slightly before jumping onto the floor and ran towards Arminâs feet to brush its tail. Armin sighed in relief as he glanced at the small cage and then at the cat. Did Annie release the kitten before they got into his room? Then if so, where is she?
Hitch turned to him; she was as confused as he was. âWeird. This room even smells like girlâs perfume.â She walked towards the bathroom and forcefully pushed the door open; there wasnât anyone in there. Then she went to check his closet.
Arminâs eyebrows creased, âI have a feeling that I need to demand a search warrant.â He crossed his arms, masking his nervousness behind a smug expression.
Failing to see anyone in his room, Hitch finally gave up on searching but shot him a warning. She pointed her forefinger at his chest, âYou know very well you canât hide anything from me. I have known you since we were infants. We grew up together in the same environment and the same situation, so I know when you are hiding something. You are like an extension of my body.â
âOh, please, Hitch. Donât make it sound weird,â he grunted; his shoulders slumped as he sighed before snatching the bat from her hands. His right arm wrapped around hers as he led her out of the bedroom. âI told you, youâre just being paranoid.â Armin glanced back inside his room before shutting the door closed. He got a glimpse of Annieâs arms emerging from under his bed, taking the kitten from the floor to hide with her. So thatâs where she hid herself. It was a relief for both of them that Hitch didnât think of checking underneath the bed.
Armin placed his head on Hitchâs shoulder as they headed down the staircase. Hitch moved her head to rest on his crown. âYou know you are a bitch sometimes.â She started.
âOh? Why am I the bitch this time?â
âDonât you think I didnât know you were the one who ratted me out to my mother about the boy I was seeing? Now everyone in school thinks I ghosted him.â
âI told you heâs not good for you.â
âIs it because he wasnât a Christian?â
âNo. But that guy keeps telling everyone in school who he slept with.â He raised his head and gasped. âDonât tell meâŚâ
âShut up! Iâm still a virginâ or else mom would shave my head off.â She defended herself before falling silent.
âWhatâs the matter now?â he asked worriedly.
âThereâs a question in my head that I keep thinking about latelyââ
âArmin.â Hitch pulled him down to sit on the tread, looking at him directly in his eyes. Emerald green eyes lingered on his cobalt blue. âWhat if one day you met someone who isnât a Christian and fell in love with her? Would you convince her to be baptized?â
It took a whole good ten minutes of staring contest; Armin swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat, but he was the first one to drop their gaze, looking down at the symmetrical angle of the stairs. Shadows drew illusions through the warm lights coming from the living room, making it seem they were far away from the ground. His mind sought an answer. As a Christian, he knew the exact verses by heart to answer this question correctly, but the back of his head told him to answer honestly. He almost brushed the latter idea off.
âHitch, you know the answer in the Second Corinthians chapter six verses fourteen to sixteen when Paul saidâŚâ
The teenagers cited in unison, Hitch sighing, dejected, âDo not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?â
âIn short, we as Christians shouldnât form a bond with unbelievers because it would pull us away from Him.â He trailed off, pointing up his forefinger. âWe must influence unbelievers without them influencing us.â
âI know you would answer that.â Hitch hugged her knees, burying her face in the curtains of ash-brown strands.
Armin thought for a second when suddenly his mind pictured him being with Annie. He didnât understand why, of all the people in the world, it was Annie who he would think of. He considered giving away his honest answer before he spoke again. âThat was my answer if you would ask me as a Youth leader. But if I would answer as an extension of your bodyââ he used his finger to air quote. âI would say, I donât want to push those teachings that the church engraved in me as a kid onto my future partnerâ if she was hesitant to accept that.â
Armin expected Hitch to laugh at his stupid, honest answer, but unexpectedly, she remains silent. Her eyes landed on the same symmetrical angle of the staircase, the same spot he was gazing at a few seconds ago. There was just comfortable silence and two teenagers and increasing warm lights from downstairs. Hitch tucked her hair behind her ears while her mind digested his answer.
âAre you thinking of someone else?â asked Armin, moving closer to her to whisper. Although they are alone in the house, he feels the need to talk softly to his friend.
âThanks.â She jests, her voice almost just came out airy.
âDo I know this guy?â he pressed further; this time less serious.
âNo! no! Iâm not thinking of some stupid guy!â
âStupid guy?â Armin paused to rack his brain for the moments Hitch mentioned hundreds of boy names she had a crush on, he archived a list in the small corner of his mind just in case he needed to blackmail her in the future when one name had clicked the bulb on, âDo you mean Marlowe Freuââ Armin was interrupted by a sudden impact, pinning him to the wall. Hitch's hands covered almost half of his face. âLet go of me! I canât breathe!â he muffled behind her palms.
âMarlowe is just my partner in literature, and he is stupid for doing most of the job! And he has a stupid haircut! Jeez!â Hitch flushed, pressing her weight on him. âIf Iâve known better, you were thinking of other girls too, right? Who is it?â
Armin shook his head but still managed to chuckle at the thought of catching Hitch off guard despite her weight pressing on him.
âHoney, weâre homeâ oh?â Arminâs mother called downstairs but was surprised at the sight of their position. Hitch was hovering above Armin while her legs spread wide on his stomach. Armin had his injured arm above his head so Hitch wouldnât hurt him. Both faces are painted a shade of crimson. Hitch was embarrassed while Armin was suffering.
âWhat are you kids doing?â His father poked his head from the staircase before his face flashed the same surprised expression as his mom had.
âHi! Pastor and Mrs. Arlert. Uhmâ we were having dinner earlier and decided this was the right time to kill each other.â Hitch butted in, finally freeing Armin.
âHi, Mom, Dad.â Armin acknowledges his parents awkwardly, shifting his body into a sitting position.
Both of his parents glanced at the kitchen island, the soup still simmering in the pot, and a hot coffee resting beside Hitchâs bowl before returning their gazes to them. Armin doesnât want to think about what his parents are thinking about. The last thing Armin wanted was for his mother to tease him more about Hitch.
Dumbfounded, his mother just nodded, flashing an awkward smile. âI see.â Armin knows that face really well, and at this moment, he just wanted Hitch to strangle him to death rather than suffer from his motherâs teasing.
âYou two spare each other for tonight. Letâs have dessert! Mrs. Braun baked some egg tarts for us.â His father offered, raising his other hand, holding a box of tarts.
âThat looks good with my coffee.â Hitch skipped a few steps from the stairs to take the box, and Armin followed at a much slower pace, ignoring his motherâs glare from his peripheral vision.
All four of them sat on high chairs at the kitchen island to finish the hotpot Armin and Hitch cooked earlier, having casual updates about school and church. Armin secretly sneaked some tarts onto a separate plate for Annie later. The tarts were sweet and freshly baked. He was sure sheâd like that.
After the pot and the box were empty, Hitch gulped the last drop of coffee from her mug before calling it a day. âThank you, Lord God, for always blessing us with delicious meals.â She finished off her prayer before clapping her hands twice. His parents followed with an amen.
âAlright, thank you for your time tonight, Hitch. Let me drive you back home. Iâm sure Mrs. Dreyse is already looking for you.â His father offered.
âThanks, Pastor!â Hitch gathered all her things to shove them inside her tote bag before glancing at Armin, âDonât forget to practice our set for the camp. If you mess up our praise and worship, youâll owe me dinner!â she reminded for the nth time before walking on his motherâs side to kiss her on the cheek. âSee you later, Mrs. Arlert.â
âBye, Hitch.â His mother smiled, gathering their plates to place inside the dishwasher. Armin waved at Hitch before he jumped from his chair to help his mother with the dishes.
When they heard his fatherâs car roar on the street and the sound slowly faded into the distance, his mother broke the silence, âHitch is a good girl, Armin.â
âMom, please donât get me started.â He sighed, uncapping the dispenser to place a dishwasher pod, and then he threw one inside before closing the machine. He ran the lightest cycle before leaving it to do its job. He reached out at the center of the kitchen island for the plate of tarts he saved for Annie before giving his mother a good night kiss.
âYou will still eat in your bedroom?â his mother inquired, placing back clean plates into the cupboard.
âYeah, midnight snack. Good night, mom, love you.â He kissed his mother on the cheek before rushing up the stairs.
âGood night, honey!â his mother answered back from the kitchen.
Armin slowly opened the door; the creaking sound caught Annieâs attention. She was now changed into her pajamas, her hair curled in different directions as if she just untied it from a tight bun. The kitten snuggled comfortably on her lap, occasionally flicking its tail on her thighs. She caressed the white fur, now cleaner and healthier than when he found the poor thing in the middle of the road.
He walked to her side of the bed, placed the plate on the bedside table, and sat near her feet. His eyes lingered on the kitten as it purred, its round back moving up and down with calm breaths. Armin wished to embrace this kind of peace forever.
âThose tarts are for you,â he started. The sudden shift in the bedâs balance from his weight awakened the kitten. It raised its head to look at him for a second before going back to sleep. âIâm sorry,â he mouthed at the kitten, which made Annie slightly curve her mouth into a smile.
âI already had dinner with Mikasa before I came here, but I wouldnât say no to tarts,â she whispered. âThey look nice.â Armin nodded, smiling as he watched her take a piece and push the tart into her mouth. She hummed in approval.
âSo, how was your shopping with Mikasa?â Armin asked, crossing his legs and tucking his hands underneath his calves.
Annie snickered, âYou didnât tell me. Mikasaâs fashion sense sucks.â
Armin chuckled, âI think Mikasa just wanted to be safe for both of you. I know thatâs not how you dress, but thatâs how people in church look like.â
âThanks for doing this for me.â
âI just wanted to be there for you, in case you get yourself in trouble.â
Armin bit his lower lip, his face turned a bit serious. âYou donât have to look after me.â
âI know I donât have to, but if it means that itâs my only way to be with you, then Iâm willing to do it.â Her eyes pierced deep into his heart. If he stared at her eyes for a little longer, he might fall, so he dropped their gaze.
âUh, right.â Armin shifted his position, his face reddened, unsure whether he understood the meaning of what she just said or if she meant nothing by that. He didnât want to overthink it too much, so he changed the subject. âAbout the favors you asked meâŚâ
âYeah? What about it?â she replied dryly.
âI want to help you write those letters.â
For a moment, she looked surprised but amended her expression back to her usual cold façade. âYou donât have to. I already spent my money on shopping.â
âItâs fine; you can pay me later,â he offered. âYou tell me what you feel, then I will write it on paper. Deal?â
She crossed her arms, her eyes darting to the ceiling.
âThen you better keep your ears open at all times.â